CWA Dagger Award Winners

The latest news out of London from the Crime Writers Association's Dagger Awards:

• Winner of the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award for best new author is S.J. Watson for Before I Go to Sleep.
• Winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for best thriller is Steve Hamilton for The Lock Artist (see my review by clicking here).
• And finally....the winner of the CWA Gold Dagger Award is Tom Franklin for Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. Absolutely the right choice in my opinion! See my review by clicking here.

CWA Nominee - End of the Wasp Season

How in the world have I not heard about Denise Mina?

Her book, The End of the Wasp Season is the final nominee on the CWA Gold Dagger shortlist that I'm reviewing this week, and it also happens to end a male-dominated list since it offers both a female writer and a female protagonist.
And what a protagonist ― Detective Inspector Alex Morrow is based in Glasgow and is five months pregnant with twins. She's battling an overbearing boss, a resentful staff, her crook of a brother, and her past.
Oh, and there's also the crime at the heart of the book.
A young woman is beaten beyond recognition at her home, and there are plenty of clues left behind for Morrow and her team to investigate, meaning that the job probably wasn't a professional one. When the squad finds stacks of money under the kitchen table as well, things don't seem quite as clear-cut as they first did.
This isn't one of those mysteries where you are kept guessing about "whodunnit," however; it's more of a why-did-they-do-it. Morrow's hunt is intertwined with the story of the killers, wealthy teens who have their own battle scars.
The End of the Wasp Season was just published last week here in the U.S., and I plan to search out Denise Mina's previous books as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, I'll wish her and the other CWA Gold Dagger nominees the best of luck! The winner will be announced tomorrow in London, so stay tuned. (2011 - Little Brown & Company)

Scottish Scones
Given the setting, these easy scones are a perfect combination with The End of the Wasp Season, preferably served with butter and jam.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
8 Tablespoons cold butter, chopped into bits
1/2 Tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Work butter into the flour with your fingers until the dough looks like coarse pellets. Stir in cranberries and zest. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the sour cream and egg, then pour into the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until the dough starts to clump together. Then use your hands to press the dough into a sticky ball. Place into a round cake pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed lightly with baking spray. Press the dough to the edges of the pan so that it forms an even height and shape. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into triangles to serve.